CRYPTOPSY

CRYPTOPSY – “As Gomorrah Burns” 

by Thor

When I think of Canadian death metal the first band that comes to mind is CRYPTOPSY, and for good reason. The band’s been together for over three decades, touring often while also creating a record canon that’s now 10 albums deep, and that’s if you’re only counting their studio EPs and LPs, the latest of which, “As Gomorrah Burns”, is out now from Nuclear Blast. 

I consider one of their albums, 1996’s “None So Vile”, to be among the best death metal albums of all-time while I’ve also disavowed a couple of their other albums after just one listen. So, by my estimation, I’ve been aboard The CRYPTOPSY Express in one capacity or another for 80% of their output. That’s pretty good, especially for a band that’s endured 19 official band members’ worth of lineup changes and whose entire existence has always been at least partially predicated on pushing the boundaries of “extreme” within the context of Extreme Music.

So, while that’s a great level of success, the remaining 20% does create a spectrum, and if you’re here, you’re certainly wondering where “As Gomorrah Burns” resides on that spectrum.

In short, it’s really good.

The band’s one remaining original member, drummer Flo Mounier, delivers a performance that’s worth the price of admission by itself, which is no surprise given his station as one of the best-regarded sticksmen of all metalkind. Moreover, his signature style is what makes this sound like a CRYPTOPSY album.

The rest of the band is great here, too. There are exemplary performances across the board typified by vocalist Matt McGachy’s dynamically aggressive delivery. “As Gomorrah Burns” lacks the topsy-turvy wickedness and illusion of raw chaos that defined the band’s early output, but that’s a sign of the times more than anything else. Nonetheless, these songs are miles better than those from the band’s confounding attempt at mainstreaming their sound 15 years ago.

Sonically, “As Gomorrah Burns” is topnotch. This thing sounds amazing. It’s a deep, polished mix that doesn’t undermine the cut-throat aggression of the music. I’m listening through high-end headphones and it’s impressive.

CRYPTOPSY’s latest is a collection of songs that seems to pull the best elements from the band’s long-running catalog and assemble them in a way that’s equal parts technical wizardry and visceral heaviness. Old school fans as well as tech-death heads who’ve somehow yet to be initiated will find a lot to like on “As Gomorrah Burns”.

NUCLEAR BLAST 

CRYPTOPSY